Belgian Firm Builds Simulator Mimicking Moon Gravity
A Belgian space technology company has delivered a unique simulator that recreates lunar gravity to help train astronauts for future Moon missions, in a project that underscores Europe’s growing ambitions in lunar exploration. Space Applications Services NV/SA announced the successful completion of Phase 1 of its PUPPETEER project, marked by the installation of its Mobile Gravity Off-loading System (MOGOS) at LUNA, the lunar analogue facility in Cologne, Germany.
According to a Space Applications Services press release, the system compensates for five-sixths of a person’s weight, allowing users to experience movement under conditions equivalent to roughly one-sixth of Earth’s gravity — the same gravitational pull astronauts would face on the lunar surface.
What the Simulator Does
The MOGOS system is designed to let astronauts train for the activities they will perform on the Moon, including walking, traversing uneven terrain, operating equipment and executing mission procedures under realistic gravitational conditions. It will also support the testing and validation of scientific payloads, instruments, robotics and exploration technologies before they are deployed to future lunar missions.
“By enabling realistic simulation of lunar gravity in a highly representative and scalable environment, the system will help astronauts, engineers, and researchers better prepare for the operational challenges of working on the Moon,” said Jeremi Gancet, Systems Department Manager at Space Applications Services, in the press release. “We are proud to see our technology selected by DLR and becoming part of such a strategic facility for future exploration.”
According to the company’s MOGOS product page, the system uses a ceiling structure fitted with multiple independently operating vehicle units, each equipped with a gravity off-loading mechanism. Unlike traditional crane-based solutions, the design allows multiple people, payloads and vehicles to move freely and interact physically without the usual constraints. The off-loading unit provides a continuous constant force output ranging from 0.1g to 1g and is engineered to be devoid of inherent inertia — a feature that supports dynamic movements such as high-speed jumping.
Inside the LUNA Facility
The system has been installed at LUNA, a facility jointly developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA). DLR describes LUNA as a research centre designed to replicate conditions on the lunar surface, containing a simulated lunar surface of 700 square metres covered with roughly 60 centimetres of regolith simulant made from basalt quarried in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region.
The hall also includes a solar simulator that recreates the Moon’s day-night lighting and sharp polar shadows, a deep floor area for sampling and drilling up to three metres below the surface, a dust chamber and a gas laboratory. In future, it will house a replica lunar habitat, known as FLEXHab, and the EDEN LUNA greenhouse.
The LUNA facility officially opened on 25 September 2024. At the time, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said the opening “marks a significant milestone in Europe’s space exploration efforts.” As ESA noted, the facility was designed to include “a high-tech gravity offloading system that simulates the Moon’s gravity — one-sixth that of Earth’s.”
Looking Ahead
The delivery marks only the first stage of the partnership. According to the press release, the completion of Phase 1 is now set to be followed by an extensive testing campaign, with a larger Phase 2 planned to expand the system for multi-user applications across the entire LUNA analogue surface.
“This is only the beginning,” said Wafa Sadri, DLR’s System Engineer for the LUNA Facility. “We will now use Phase 1 to put the system through an extensive testing campaign… These lessons will be essential as we move towards Phase 2, where we intend to expand the system for multi-user applications across the entire LUNA analogue surface.”
As VRT NWS reported, the Belgian company supplies the gravity simulators for ESA’s large Moon training centre in Germany, allowing astronauts and lunar vehicles to move freely under conditions that replicate the Moon’s gravity. The development highlights Belgium’s role in space technology and comes as Europe prepares for a sustained presence on the Moon through its contributions to the international Artemis programme.
Founded in 1987 and headquartered near Brussels, Space Applications Services is no newcomer to lunar technology. The company is developing the LUVMI-M lunar rover and is a strategic partner in the Starlab commercial space station consortium, giving it considerable standing in the low-gravity and lunar-mobility domain.
What to watch next: the Phase 2 expansion of MOGOS across the full LUNA surface, and how lessons from the simulator feed into Europe’s preparations for crewed lunar missions in the years ahead.